Drabbles and Short Stories (Part Two)
by CatLikesTea
Summary: My second collection of short stories written for Year Two of the Houses Competition. /Team: Ravenclaw/ Previous: George can't bring himself to open Fred's door./ Recent: Draco is almost declined a job because of his past./
1. Birthday Party

**House: Ravenclaw**  
 **Category: Short**  
 **Prompt: "How was I supposed to know you were joking?"**  
 **Word count: 519**

 **Birthday Party**

* * *

Harry knotted his tie and sullenly attempted to flatten his hair. He looked far too overdressed for his liking, but Hermione had bought the outfit for him, and it just wouldn't do to hurt her feelings. It wasn't like he'd asked for a birthday party, although both Hermione and Ginny had insisted until he was guilt-tripped into allowing them to throw him one.

He was pondering whether to use magic or the muggle wax method, when Hermione burst into his room, grinning from ear to ear.

Harry jumped about a foot in the air. "Hermione! I could have been naked or something!"

Hermione's face turned a bright shade of pink. "But you're not," she declared defensively, as if Harry didn't already know. "Anyway, Draco and I have been working so hard on your party… I know you're going to love it! Come and see. We've set out the decorations, the food… The guests will be here any minute!" She squealed, and tugged on his arm, but Harry stayed rooted to the spot, his eyebrows shooting halfway up his forehead.

"Sorry Hermione, you and who?"

Hermione frowned. "Me and Draco. You know, your other party planner."

"First of all, why on earth would I need a party planner when I have you and Ginny?" He rubbed his forehead tiredly. "Second of all… Why on earth did you ask Malfoy?"

Hermione's frown deepened. "Because you requested him. Obviously."

Harry tried to think back to an occasion when he'd had any sort of conversation with Hermione about a party planner. He was sure she had mentioned it at some point… In fact, now he thought about it, she had brought it up the previous week and admittedly, Harry hadn't been paying much attention.

…

" _So, I've been thinking Harry, about your party…"_

 _That was the point in which Harry had zoned out. It wasn't entirely his fault… If he cared at all about the party, he was sure he would have found the conversation far more interesting._

 _"… and perhaps Luna, I'm sure she'd have some... unique ideas."_

 _"Sorry Hermione, I think I just blanked out a little there. Who were we choosing people for?"_

 _It was funny, he thought, how he could see Hermione's mouth moving and hear her voice, but still not register a word she was saying._

 _"Honestly," he cut her off, "You could choose Malfoy for all I care, just stop talking about the stupid party okay?"_

…

"Hermione," he groaned, his face in his hands. "I wasn't serious, you know."

She stared at him for a second, her mouth open in an understanding 'oh', before snapping it closed, where it settled into a thin line. "How was I supposed to know you were joking?"

Before Harry could reply, she had grabbed his arm and dragged him out the room.

"Never mind," she said, smiling brightly. "Let's not let this ruin a wonderful celebration. The guests are already here!"

It was as Harry was being introduced to a smirking Malfoy, that he decided; he was never letting Hermione be in charge of his birthday ever again.

The end.


	2. Madame Malkin's

**House: Ravenclaw**  
 **Category: Drabble**  
 **Prompt: Sunny**  
 **Word count: 461**

* * *

 **Madame Malkin's**

The sun was beating down unrelentingly on Draco as he followed his father down Diagon Alley. His hair was sticking to his forehead with sweat and he wished he could wear muggle shorts and t-shirts like the other children instead of his thick, heavy cloak. His father had told him it would be improper to be seen in public wearing muggle clothes, but, what with it being the hottest day of the year, Draco begged to differ.

Draco loved Diagon Alley. The street was busy with people rushing to and fro, Hogwarts students ticking off school supplies and shop owners setting out window displays of the most unaffordable items. There were grown men acting like excited school children, their breath fogging up the glass as they leaned their foreheads against the window of Quality Quidditch Supplies, ogling the latest racing broom, the Nimbus 2000.

"Pathetic," sneered his father, his lip curling in distaste as they walked past. "Come along Draco, it's time to get your school robes fitted."

Madame Malkin's Robes for All Occasions was an exciting shop, Draco thought. His father had gone to buy his school books, so Draco was free to wander Madame Malkin's as he pleased. Eyes wide, he made his way towards the back of the shop, where only weak rays of sun illuminated the treasures within. He found himself walking through the racks of cloaks, marvelling at all the different colours and textures. Orange fur with funny pink pom-poms, a silky-textured dark maroon dress robe with gold lining, and a leathery black travelling cloak which shimmered as it moved were only a few among many different designs. Draco was just reaching out touch a silvery gown when-

"Can I help you, dear?"

The voice startled Draco and he spun his head around to find himself face-to-face with Madame Malkin herself.

"Y- yes, I'm…" Draco trailed off nervously, before shaking himself slightly. He was never awkward around strangers… he was a Malfoy for Merlin's sake! "I'm looking for Hogwarts robes," he continued coolly.

"Well, you've come to the right place," smiled the woman warmly. If she was surprised by his change of attitude, she didn't show it, and chatted with him amiably as she helped him onto a footstool to be measured. She was a kind lady, and Draco was very much enjoying their conversation, but just as he was about to tell her about his ambitions to be in Slytherin, the door opened, letting the sunlight stream into the shop. A boy with rather untidy hair and startling emerald green eyes walked in, staring at everything with fascination, as if he had never set foot in a magical store in his life.

Well, it wouldn't hurt to make just one friend, would it?

The End


	3. New Beginnings

**House: Ravenclaw**  
 **Category: Short**  
 **Prompt: He looked down at what was left of their money - fifteen galleons and twenty-five** **knuts.**  
 **Word Count: 707**

 **(This is an au about what might have happened when Sirius escaped from Azkaban)**

 **New Beginnings**

He looked down what was left of their money - fifteen galleons and twenty-five knuts. The two had robbed a Wizard outside the entrance to Diagon Alley, but the money hadn't lasted them long. Heavily disguised, they had stayed in the Leaky Cauldron for two weeks for ten sickles a night. Then the money they had spent on food – Sirius had been living off rats for almost a month, (he had taken some kind of sick pleasure in imagining the rats were Pettigrew) and his acquaintance hadn't been any better off, so being able to afford proper food was a luxury. Peter or something, was the name of his travel buddy, but he had only said his name once and Sirius had long since forgotten. He blamed it on his long stay in Azkaban.

As it turned out, Peter was a wanted man as well.

Sirius sat on his bed, staring down at the money. They had yet to pay the owner of the inn for their long stay, and once that was gone, they'd only have enough money to last them a week.

"Peter!" he called, and the man came out of the bathroom, a towel wrapped around his waist.

"The name's Pierre," replied the man, gruffly.

Well, he was close enough.

"I was thinking, maybe we ought to go our separate ways. The money won't last much longer, so perhaps we should just split what's left," Sirius suggested.

Pierre nodded. "That's a sensible idea. I wouldn't want to have to rob anyone else, just so we can afford to sleep here."

Sirius smiled. For someone who was labelled as a criminal, Pierre was one of the sweetest guys he'd met. Sirius shook his hand. "Good luck… with everything."

Pierre's mouth twisted into a grin. "Good luck."

.

That was how Sirius found himself back on the streets of Muggle London, unsure where to go. Every one of his old friends thought he was a murderer, a traitor. They thought he had betrayed James and Lily, but how could he? James had been like a brother to him, and it hurt that people thought he would betray the person he'd felt closer to than any real family he had.

Especially his other friend Remus, who knew how close the two had been… Although Sirius had been just as bad in believing that he was the traitor. He had promised that, despite his lycanthropy, he would always trust Remus, and he had broken that promise.

Sirius knew he would have to visit the werewolf at some point, but he might have to visit him sooner than he'd anticipated. He hadn't expected to run out of money so soon, and he was totally unprepared. What if Remus didn't believe him? After all, he had no evidence to back himself up. What if Remus tried to get him put back in Azkaban? Sirius shuddered. His friend wouldn't do that, would he?

All too soon, Sirius found himself on Remus' doorstep. He had rehearsed what he was going to say millions of times, over and over in his head. Looking around to see if anyone was watching, he transformed back into a human, rapped on the door sharply, then swiftly turned back into a dog. He felt it would be easier to face Remus as a dog, perhaps because he didn't want Remus to see what Azkaban had done to him. He backed away a little as the door opened, an explanation on the tip of his tongue.

Remus stood there for a moment, wondering how a dog could possibly knock on the door when his eyes widened in recognition.

"Sirius?"

The dog transformed into a man Remus would recognize anywhere – his eyes were slightly sunken and his face paler than it had been when he'd left, but it was still the same old Sirius.

The man opened his mouth and started rambling on and on about his innocence, but Remus dismissed him with a wave of his hand, knowing his friend was telling the truth. He didn't need to hear any more.

"Shower first, explanation second. You smell like wet dog."

The End


	4. Home at Last

**House: Ravenclaw**  
 **Category: Drabble**  
 **Prompt: First day of work**  
 **Word count: 391**

 **Home at Last**

Harry looked up at the place he had called his home for seven years. He hadn't been back since the castle had been finished being rebuilt, and just looking at the place reminded him of the battle, and the lives that had been lost. He needed to move on, so when McGonagall offered him a job as the new Defence Against the Dark Arts professor, Harry knew it was just what he needed.

Now, looking up at the castle, Harry was unsure as to whether or not he had made the right decision.

The painful memories being almost too much to bear, he had a few moments of indecision, moments in which he wondered whether he should return to his job as an Auror – a job he hated, but one that he was almost expected to do.

But perhaps Hogwarts was where he was meant to be. After all these years, the school still felt like home to Harry. Although it had been painful to see Hogwarts so different from its old glory at first, Harry couldn't help but realize he'd missed it in the time he had been away.

.

"To conclude my start of year speech, it's time to introduce you to your new Defence Against the Dark Arts professor, Professor Potter," Harry stood up nervously, and at once, the previously silent room was filled with gasps of recognition, and loud, excited chatter.

Harry sat down quickly, his face growing red, and McGonagall clapped her hands twice, causing the hall to fall silent.

"Some of the older students may remember Professor Potter from back when he attended Hogwarts," the Headmistress said, and a murmur of confirmation passed around the hall.

"The rest of you will have heard of him no doubt," McGonagall continued. "However, Potter is not here to be gawked at, or questioned like a celebrity, he is here as a professor to teach you, and should be treated with respect." She fixed the crowd of students with a steely glare. "You would all do well to remember this."

Harry grinned down at the students as they shifted guiltily under the Headmistress' glare.

He felt, in a way, excited to start teaching. In a rush, all of the apprehensiveness he had been feeling had vanished.

Maybe he would like it here after all.

The End.


	5. Pretty Eyes (PansyxAstoria)

**House: Ravenclaw**  
 **Category: Short**  
 **Prompt: Pansy/Astoria**  
 **Word count: 678**

Pretty Eyes

Pansy was in the library again. She wasn't entirely sure why she'd returned but she was pretty sure it had something to do with _her_. Pansy had told her friends she was studying, and they were all too thick to question it. Well, maybe apart from Draco, but unlike the others, he respected her privacy. Thank Merlin for that.

She peeked over the top of her book. There, sitting on the table opposite, was Astoria. She had shoulder length brown hair and the most entrancing chocolate coloured eyes Pansy had ever seen. It was weird, she thought, thinking like that about Daphne's younger sister, but she couldn't help it.

At that moment, Astoria looked up, locking her gaze with Pansy's. The two stared for a moment, before Pansy realized what she was doing and hid behind her book, embarrassed. She went back to reading, and, although she couldn't see it, she swore she could feel Astoria's stare burning into her.

A few minutes later, she heard someone flop down in the chair beside her. Huh, so much for minding his own business.

"Mind if I join you?" a familiar voice drawled. It was Draco, of course. Who else would deem it necessary to interrupt her intense staring competition with the cutest girl in the school?

'Yes, I do mind,' Pansy said, but only in her head. "No, I don't mind," she huffed, slamming her book closed. Okay, maybe she was overreacting a little bit, but she wasn't known as Slytherin's drama-queen for nothing.

"What's got your knickers in a twist?" Draco smirked, and Pansy scowled.

"Nothing," she bit back at him. Honestly, she was still mad at him for sticking his nose in where it wasn't wanted so there was no need to provoke her any further. "I _was_ enjoying reading this book, before you came along and ruined the peace and quiet."

Draco put his hands up in surrender. "Okay, okay, but you're the one yelling at me right now." He pointed to a sign. "Shhh, it's a library. Besides," he added, sceptically, "Why are you reading 'A Beginners Guide to Herbology?'"

Pansy looked at the title. So she was.

"Well, I've just been really struggling in class at the moment, so I thought I needed some extra guidance."

"Pansy, you dropped Herbology last year."

Her face reddened. So she had.

"So," Draco leaned towards her, a manic grin on his face. "Astoria, huh?"

Pansy feigned nonchalance. "I don't know what you're talking about," she retorted, sticking her nose up in the air.

"Why don't you just go and talk to her?"

On any other day, that would have been the last thing Pansy wanted to do, but Draco was driving her up the wall here. Besides, what was the worst that could happen?

"Okay," she said, standing up suddenly. "Maybe I will."

She strode over to Astoria's table and pulled out a seat. "Room for one more?"

The younger girl jumped, then looked up at Pansy, her face flushed.

"Yes," she mumbled, then went back to reading her book.

Pansy smiled at her. "Your book's upside-down," she pointed out helpfully. Astoria stared at her for a moment, before her eyes drifted down to her book.

"Oh yeah," she whispered. The poor girl looked mortified, which if anything made her look even more adorable, Pansy thought.

"So, are you doing anything at the weekend?" she asked. Astoria shook her head quickly. "D-do you think you'd like to go to Hogsmeade with me?" Pansy continued, nervously pulling at her sleeve. It wasn't like her, to get nervous, but there was something about Astoria that made her heart flutter and her legs turn to jelly.

Astoria stared at her, dumbfounded. "Y-you mean as a date?"

"If you want, yeah."

There was a short silence, and Pansy was sure Astoria was going to decline.

"Okay."

"Okay?"

Astoria smiled. "Yeah."

Pansy's face lit up with a grin. She knew that sometime in the near future, Draco would tease her to death about this, but for now, it was perfect.

The End


	6. Bedtime Tales

House: Ravenclaw  
Category: Drabble  
Prompt: Three-headed dog  
Word count: 165

Bedtime Tales

"And the Wizard slew the fearsome three-headed dog and the Town of Hillsby lived happily ever after," Harry finished reading to Albus. He felt his eyes drifting closed - it had been a long day at work.

"Dad," Albus whispered into the dark. "Are Three-Headed dogs only in stories?"

"No," said Harry. "I once met a three-headed dog when I was at Hogwarts."

There was a sharp intake of breath from his son's bed. "Will I meet a Three-Headed dog there too?"

"I doubt it," Harry yawned drowsily, trying to stay awake. "Besides, it's easy to win a fight over a three-headed dog - I did it and I was only a first-year."

"How did you do it?" Albus asked, in awe, staring up at his father.

"I played it some music."

"Really?"

"Yes, really."

There was a hesitation, then, "Dad?"

"Mmhm?"

"Did it have a name?"

"Its name was Fluffy."

Albus laughed. "Maybe Three-Headed dogs aren't so scary after all."

The End.


	7. Winter Wonderland

**House: Ravenclaw  
Category: Drabble  
Prompts: Ice skating, disaster (ice skating is my chosen prompt for the seventh year challenge)  
Word count: 450**

 **Winter Wonderland**

Pansy hated winter. She hated the cold, she hated the dark, and she even hated Christmas. Above all, the thing that Pansy hated the most about winter was the sports that came with it, namely ice skating. She could think of nothing worse than skating around a circular rink of ice for an hour and a half in the _cold_ and the _dark_. Not only that, but it always tended to be a rather painful and humiliating experience, one which Pansy would rather avoid entirely rather than experience again.

That was why, when the Slytherins' annual skating trip drew near, Pansy decided she wasn't going, and that was that.

Unfortunately for Pansy, Draco's interpretation of _'definitely not going,_ ' happened to be _'I will go, but only if you buy me a month's supply of liquorice wands._ ' It seemed guilt tripping her happened to be Draco's forte.

That's how Pansy ended up standing outside with most of the sixth-year Slytherins in some kind of cold, dark attempt at a winter wonderland. There were displays of light-up reindeers, inflatable snowmen and big, plastic Christmas trees wherever she looked, and the sickeningly happy Christmas music was almost deafening.

God, she was _freezing._

The first problem came in the form of some rather small ice-skates. Due to the three pairs of socks she was wearing, Pansy found it rather hard to get the uncomfortable (and rather ugly) boots on her feet, and when she eventually did, she feared she may have been cutting off their blood circulation altogether.

The next problem came with actually getting on the circular rink. The others had already managed to make their way onto the ice and, as usual, Blaise Zabini and Theodore Nott were showing off to try and impress the girls. It worked of course, and Pansy could hear their 'ooh's and 'ahh's as Blaise did some kind complicated spinning thing in the centre of the ice.

She sniffed in annoyance. That was just a disaster waiting to happen.

Pansy latched onto Draco's arm for dear life, tentatively touching the end of her blade to the rink. When nothing happened, she put the rest of her weight onto her skate, which instantly caused her foot to start sliding away from her. Pansy panicked, which caused her to let go of Draco, but flapping her arms around, she managed to clutch the side of the ice rink.

There came a snort from behind her, and Pansy turned around, glaring at Draco for laughing at her brush with death. She cautiously put her other foot onto the ice and managed to start hobbling around the circle in a somewhat undignified manner.

She couldn't wait for this to be over.


	8. Twilfitt and Tattings

**House: Ravenclaw  
Category: Short  
Prompts: Dress shopping, "It was days like this where she really questioned her life choices" (Dress shopping is my chosen prompt for the seventh year challenge)  
Word count: 715**

 **Twilfitt and Tattings**

It was days like this where she really questioned her life choices. An entire day of shopping was not Ginny's idea of fun, but _dress_ shopping? It was like she had stepped into a nightmare. It wasn't like the wedding mattered… She immediately felt guilty at the thought. Yes, she didn't care much for the bride, and no, she certainly didn't think the middle of a Wizarding War was a good time for a wedding, but Bill was her brother. In fact, Bill was the brother who stood up for her and cared more about her happiness than any of her other siblings, and the least she could do was to support his wedding, of all things.

Fleur's family had put quite a bit of money towards the wedding, and, after making sure all the necessary arrangements were made, Ginny's mum had given her, Luna, and Hermione money to spend on dresses to make sure they looked 'suitably presentable' for the wedding. Ginny had taken slight offence to this, arguing that she always looked 'suitably presentable', which both she and her mother knew was most definitely not true.

"Ooh, Twilfitt and Tattings?" Hermione said, looking slightly interested as they reached their destination. "It's meant to be really posh in here, isn't it?" It was true she didn't much care for fashion, but Hermione had never come across a Wizarding shop as grand as Twilfitt and Tattings. She thought it wouldn't look out of place as the Queen's wardrobe.

They entered the shop and almost immediately, a voice was heard from the back of the store. "Welcome to Twilfitt and Tattings! Are you in any need of assistance or just here to browse?"

"We're looking for dresses to a wedding!" Ginny yelled, as she looked around. Everything seemed so… neat and tidy. Two minutes later, a tall, skinny looking woman emerged from the back room wheeling a rack of all sorts of brightly coloured dresses.

She directed them towards the changing rooms and Luna lead the way, eagerly eyeing a sunflower yellow dress from the rack. Hermione picked out a short, red dress for herself, and offered Ginny a long, pink dress, with rose embroidery.

"What about this one?"

Ginny looked at it, one eyebrow raised. "Apparently, 'ze pink clashes 'orribly with ze hair'."

Hermione sighed. "Why can't you just give them a chance?" When Ginny didn't reply, she just gave a resigned shrug and picked another dress off the rack. "What about this one?" The dress she had picked out was gold, and it seemed to give off a glow which made Hermione's skin sparkle.

Ginny took it from her and held it up to herself, letting out a giggle at the thought of wearing something so long and low-cut. "What do you think?"

"Guess you'll just have to try it on to find out," Hermione said, and disappeared behind a curtain to change.

Ginny did the same, and a couple of minutes later, the two emerged, took one look at the other, then burst into laughter at the sight of the other girl looking so… fancy. "Ginny, you look amazing in that!" Hermione said, her face split in a grin. Ginny realized Hermione had probably never seen her in a dress, and doubted that many other people had.

Ginny looked at herself in the mirror. She didn't exactly have much of an opinion about the dress, but she liked the glow it gave her skin. Besides, she didn't really want to have to try on another one.

She was about to comment on the other girl's dress, but Hermione had already started walking towards the rack, eyeing some of the other outfits on sale. Instead, she turned to Luna who was wearing her yellow dress.

"You look lovely Luna, but have you considered wearing something… A little less bright?"

Luna refused to budge. "My daddy says wearing yellow at a wedding brings good luck," she said, stubbornly. Her eyes widened dramatically, and Ginny whipped around to see Hermione wearing a floaty, lilac dress.

"How do I look?"

"You look gorgeous Hermione! Ron is going to be speechless."

"Ron?"

Ginny grinned at the thought of her brother's not-so secret crush on her best friend. Maybe this wedding wasn't going to be so bad after all.


	9. Dancing on Your Own

**House: Ravenclaw  
Category: Drabble  
Prompts: Dancing, Ron/Hermione  
Word Count: 220**

 **Dancing on Your Own**

She was still wearing her black clothes of mourning. The funerals had ended the previous week but Hermione was still in a bad state. She had barely eaten and had not slept - Ron could hear her at night, her broken sobs leaking through the wall separating their rooms. She cried for those they had lost in the battle, those who were injured, those whose lives had been destroyed.

Now, she was sitting cross-legged in the living room, staring into space. The radio was playing from the kitchen – it was a tune Ron recognised but he couldn't place the name. It sounded rather melancholic, and as Hermione hummed along, Ron didn't need to work hard to find out what she was thinking about.

Wordlessly, he walked over to where she sat and grabbed one of her hands in his. As he pulled her from her sitting position to stand beside him, he realized how much they had both changed since they met. Hermione was beautiful and strong and he knew, although it would take time, they would get through this, together.

As he slow-danced her in a circle, and she rested her head on his shoulder, he knew he wouldn't tell her everything was okay. Because the truth was, it wasn't.

But he promised her that things would get better.


	10. A Day in December

**House: Ravenclaw  
Category: Short  
Prompts: Windy, house scarf  
Word count: 525**

 **A Day in December**

It was one of the windiest and coldest Decembers Luna could remember. The last thing she wanted to do was to be outside in the awful weather, but unless she wanted to stay at home for the holidays, she had no choice. The Hogwarts Express was going to leave tomorrow, and Luna still hadn't found many of her missing items. She couldn't understand why people would want to keep taking them, but she hoped they found it funny. Somewhere, someone had better be even slightly amused, or all the trouble she'd gone to looking for the missing items, would be for nothing.

Luna's eyes widened as she realized the only possible place the rest of her things would be. Despite her calm exterior, Luna _was_ terrified of something - the forbidden forest. She had always hated the dark, and the noises didn't do anything to calm her nerves. She knew the wrackspurts were at it again, or she wouldn't feel so negative about the situation. She could hear them – they buzzed loudly in her ears, and the noise mixed with the howling of the wind made it hard to think clearly.

She shivered as she stood at the edge of the forest, holding out her wand and casting lumos into the unending darkness. The small light made her feel slightly more reassured. After all, the thestrals always kept her safe, so she was in no real danger…

It was the middle of the day, but just one step into the forest, and all light around her seemed to extinguish. She gulped.

"Romulus?" She called. When at first there was no reply, Luna began to worry. The wind was so loud now that the buzzing of the wrackspurts had almost disappeared and branches were actually snapping off of the trees, one almost hitting Luna on the shoulder. Vaguely, she thought she heard the headmaster's voice amidst all the noise. It sounded suspiciously like a warning to stay inside because of the strong winds, but Luna couldn't be sure. It didn't matter anyway, as she decided she would remain outside despite this. After all, she needed to find the rest of her items before the next day.

She was about to call Romulus again, when her blue and silver house scarf was swept up from around her neck.

"Hey!" She cried out at the wind. "That's my scarf!" She reached to grab it, but the wind pulled it tauntingly out of her reach. As if by magic, the scarf flew up and up, until it became entangled in the branches of a rather tall tree.

It was then, that Romulus decided to come, galloping and neighing, his wings being lifted by the strong grasp of the wind.

"Romulus, you have to help me find my things!" Luna shouted, but was unable to raise her voice above the unrelenting roar of the wind.

The thestral just shook his head sadly. 'Go home!' His eyes seemed to say, before galloping off into the forest.

That evening, Luna found herself gazing mournfully out one of the windows of Ravenclaw tower, watching her scarf wave like a flag in the wind.


	11. Detention

**House: Ravenclaw**  
 **Category: Drabble**  
 **Prompt: Alecto Carrow**  
 **Word count: 244**

 **Detention**

"Crucio!"

The first-year screams as my brother casts the unforgivable on him. "Pathetic," Amycus spits as he lifts the curse, the boy immediately curling up into a protective ball. "This is what you get for answering me back, Murphy."

When he doesn't reply, Amycus sends a swift kick to his side, and the first-year flinches. "Your detention is over. Get out of my sight."

I feel nothing but hatred for the tiny half-blood as he scrambles to his feet and runs out the classroom. _His type_ are the result of what happens when perfectly good witches and wizards' minds get corrupted by the foul teachings of people like _Albus Dumbledore_. I feel sick to my stomach at even the thought of the disgusting, impure creatures that were Muggle-borns and half-bloods.

 _That boy got everything he deserves._

"Right," Amycus snarls, his gaze lingering on the petrified group of first years. One girl has burst into tears and is being comforted by her peers. The 'I'm-going-to-piss-myself' looks on their faces make me stifle a laugh.

"Your turn, Alecto" my brother says to me, and I smirk at the crying girl.

"You," I say, my gaze still settled on her. Amycus drags her out in front of me by her hair. I giggle as she struggles against his grip and her friends try to grab on to her, to pull her back towards the safety of the group.

Oh boy. This is going to be fun.


	12. A Box of Memories

**House: Ravenclaw**  
 **Category: Short**  
 **Prompt: Blue hair ribbon**  
 **Word count: 619**

 **A Box of Memories**

Monica Wilkins didn't know the significance of the blue ribbon in the box beside her bed. The box held three other items – a small toy doll, a lock of curly brown hair, and an empty photo frame. The frame itself wasn't empty, but rather the photo inside was, for some reason, completely blank.

Monica had no recollection of when or where she had got the items, but something told her she should keep them very close to her. Every morning, she would take the blue hair ribbon and twirl it around her fingers lovingly, as it were a beloved item from her childhood. Perhaps it wasn't – perhaps it was simply an item she had picked from a craft store or a fabric shop, but no matter how hard she tried, she just couldn't remember.

Then there were the other items. The lock of hair couldn't have been hers. The colour was too light, and Monica had always had dark brown hair. Wendell didn't know who it belonged to either. Perhaps it had been his and he had simply forgotten it existed at all? Then the doll – Monica had never owned many toys, yet the doll had clearly been well used. She could tell from the fading of the original colours, and the many stains the doll seemed to have gathered.

Again, it could have been something picked up from a car boot sale, or left behind by the old owners of the house. Monica just didn't know what to think. Perhaps the correct response would be to throw out the items, but she found she just couldn't bring herself do it. Her attachment to the seemingly meaningless items puzzled both her and her husband, but the matter was dropped after only one conversation and the two never really spoke about the items again. Despite this, Monica still opened the box every morning, to make sure the items were still there, especially the blue ribbon, which had grown to become her favourite.

One morning, she was looking at the baby's doll, when an idea struck her. She ran downstairs to find her husband preparing to cook breakfast in the kitchen, but at her haste, he set down the frying pan he was holding onto the counter.

"Monica? Are you alright?"

Monica nodded. "Sorry, it was just… I had an idea."

Wendell laughed. "You and your ideas! First it was Australia, then it was the motorbike… Well dear? Is it a good one?"

Monica nodded again. "An excellent one. Wendell, have you ever thought about children?"

.

It was a Saturday afternoon when the doorbell rang. Wendell had to work, so Monica was on her own in the house. Walking when you were six months pregnant, Monica decided, was quite a bit harder than when you weren't. By the time she opened the door, the person who had rang the doorbell had left, and was already halfway down the driveway. From the back, all Monica could see of the person was a mane of bushy, brown hair.

"Wait!" She called out, holding her belly as she stepped through the doorway. Monica couldn't chase after her in this state, though, and she had to watch from her doorstep.

The young woman turned to face her and her mouth dropped open slightly, From the way she looked at Monica, it was almost as if she knew her. Then, the woman's gaze drifted down to Monica's stomach.

The look on the young woman's face was sad and regretful as she turned and fled the driveway.

Monica never saw her again, but it never stopped crossing her mind that the blue ribbon from her mysterious box would have looked perfect in that young woman's hair.


	13. Neighbours

**House: Ravenclaw**  
 **Category: Drabble**  
 **Prompt: [Word] Neighbour**  
 **Word count: 163**

 **Neighbours**

"So, what about that neighbour, huh?"

Remus knew he would regret the moment he decided it would be a good idea to let Lily into his back garden, especially when it was the summer and Remus' totally-not-attractive neighbour had decided to take off his shirt to mow the grass.

"What about him?"

"Remus! You were definitely checking him out."

"I was not!"

"Do you have his number?"

"Lily! He only got here a few days ago! Besides, he lives next door. If I wanted to talk to him I'd do it in person."

"What are you waiting for then?"

Before Remus could protest, Lily started dragging him towards the back door.

Damn Lily and her obsession with getting him a date! Not that he really minded this time… No,

Remus decided, as they reached the back door and stepped outside, watching his neighbour as his sweat- soaked hair fell into his annoyingly stunning grey eyes. This time, he didn't really mind at all.


	14. Normal

**House: Ravenclaw**  
 **Category: Short**  
 **Prompt: [Object] Broken wine glass**  
 **Word count: 592**

Normal

Sirius didn't know what was wrong with his family. It was fine until he started Hogwarts – as far as he knew, his family was as normal as families could get. There was a mother, a father, and two sons. They had a house elf, like most pureblooded wizards, and all the riches anyone could ever desire.

Sirius was told over and over again that he was lucky to have the all the money he did, and he was lucky to be born into one of the Wizarding World's most respected Wizarding families. His family was superior to all the blood traitors and families of Mudbloods.

He'd heard about Slytherin house from his family, and it sounded the best house by far. All the powerful wizards belonged to Slytherin, and the weak, followers of Dumbledore, went to the rest of the houses. Albus Dumbledore, Sirius' parents liked to remind him, was the worst thing that had ever happened to Hogwarts.

When Sirius was bad, he was punished. This was something he had learned from a very young age. His punishments ranged from pain (the spell which caused pain over his entire body was the worst) to being locked in the dungeons for days without any food or water. He deserved these punishments, of course, as they would be a result of his disobedience, which by any means, was entirely his own fault.

He remembered the first time he had been yelled at by his mother. He had spilt a glass of water on the table and his mother was almost spitting with rage.

"You piece of filth!" she had shouted, throwing her wine glass across the floor where it shattered into what seemed like a million pieces. Sirius stared at them intensely as his mother hurled insults at him, and her engagement ring cut across his face.

On September first, at the start of his first year, Sirius met James Potter, his future best friend. James wanted to be sorted into Gryffindor, something Sirius didn't understand. Surely James would want to be sorted into Slytherin, the best house? After James talked about Gryffindor house, however, Sirius decided it didn't sound so bad after all.

Being sorted into Gryffindor was the scariest thing that had ever happened to him. What would his parents say? What they said wasn't pleasant, especially in the form of a howler, but after he'd been hugged by his newfound friends, he felt decidedly better.

Over the course of the year, he heard stories of his friends' parents – how they read bedtime stories, gave their children gifts, and cared for them when they were sick. These things, a confused Remus had answered when he asked, were done out of love and caring.

But surely Sirius' parents loved him? Unfortunately, that question was unanswered, and stayed unanswered for a long time.

When Sirius went to the Potter's house for the Christmas holidays, he was slightly intimidated by how many hugs they gave Sirius and James, but he soon got used to the fact it was out of affection and not hate that they were touching the two boys.

When he got back to his house in the summer holidays, he half expected to be hugged like he had been at the Potters. Instead, he was slapped and sent to his room for being sorted into Gryffindor. He was a disgrace, they told him. He tainted the family name.

Sirius didn't know what was wrong with his family, but he tried his hardest to tell himself there was nothing wrong with _him._


	15. What Could Go Wrong?

House: Ravenclaw  
Category: Drabble  
Prompt: [First Line] "What could go wrong?" He/She/They asked, and (character)/I knew they/we were all in trouble now.  
Word Count: 131

What Could Go Wrong?

"What could go wrong?" he asked, and Remus knew they were all in trouble now. Sirius Black had an annoying habit of jinxing their pranks – not once had he uttered those four, fateful words and all had gone as planned. It was too late now though - Sirius was dragging Remus into the great hall by the hand with James and Peter following behind.

'What could go wrong?' Remus asked himself, and a million different scenarios flooded his head, most of them ending in the prank failing miserably.

Ultimately the prank led to a detention for each of the boys, but it wasn't long until they planned another one.

"What could go-" Sirius started, before Remus clamped a hand over his mouth.

After all, it wouldn't do to get caught… again.


	16. Love Again SiriusxRemus

**House: Ravenclaw**  
 **Category: Themed**  
 **Prompt: Hate**  
 **Word count: 2038**

 **Love Again**

"I hate him, I hate him," was the general mumbling heard from behind the drapes of Remus Lupin's four poster bed. The Marauders had tried to coax him out in various different ways – the bribery of chocolate had almost worked until Peter had let slip that there had never been any chocolate and they just wanted him to leave his bed. Remus had quickly withdrawn the hand he had poked out through the curtains to retrieve the chocolate and snapped the gap in the curtains shut.

"Are you coming down for dinner, Sirius?" Peter asked, nervously glancing at the curtains, perhaps on the verge of asking Remus as well, but ultimately deciding not to.

Sirius shook his head. "I'm not hungry," he said, shrugging. James looked at him, concerned, but didn't press the matter, which Sirius was grateful for. James and Peter bade the two goodbye and headed down the dormitory stairs.

Sirius immediately turned his attention to the drawn curtains around Remus' bed. He approached them cautiously, then gently tugged on the curtains.

"Remus, just come out, please. We know he's an absolute asshole for what he did, but-"

"Leave me _alone_ Sirius," Remus snapped. "I don't really want to talk to anyone right now, I'm not in the mood."

The comment stung a little, but Sirius backed off. It felt weird that Remus was upset over some Ravenclaw who certainly wasn't worthy of his time or attention. The scumbag had been cheating on Remus, which was the cause of his current affliction, but Sirius couldn't help but feel slightly glad the two were no longer a thing. He hated the way Remus looked at the Ravenclaw, as if he were the only thing good in the world. He noticed how Remus' eyes would go soft and how he would never stop smiling when said Ravenclaw entered the room.

What made it worse that that was the way Remus used to look at _him_.

That was the way Remus looked at Sirius before he messed up – big time. It wasn't a small mistake, one which could be fixed with a few apologies and forgotten about within a week or so – it was a mistake which had led to Remus not speaking to him for months, and ultimately the end of… Well, _whatever_ it was they'd had.

They had acted as though they were in a relationship – the holding hands, the snogging behind the greenhouses, but nothing had ever been made official between them. Sirius never managed to pluck up the courage to asked if they were really in a relationship, whether Remus would be his…Boyfriend.

That had all stopped after the incident in the Shrieking Shack. Although their friendship was restored eventually, Remus admitted he couldn't be in a relationship with someone who had betrayed him so easily.

That had hurt a lot, although admittedly not as much as when Remus came into their dorm room a month later announcing he had a boyfriend. The fact he had been able to move on from Sirius so quickly made Sirius wonder if he had ever even meant anything to Remus.

And now the Ravenclaw scum - Remus' boyfriend - had ruined everything. How someone could cheat on someone so wonderful, and smart, and kind, and talented as Remus was beyond Sirius.

He was about to return to his own bed, when he heard what sounded suspiciously like a muffled sob coming from Remus' bed. "Remus? Are you okay?" he asked, and his heart broke slightly when he heard another noise which hinted at Remus' distress.

There was a small sniffle and then – "Go away, Sirius."

Sirius was about to leave when he changed his mind and pulled open Remus' curtains just enough to slip inside.

"Hey."

Remus stayed silent as Sirius climbed onto the bed, laying his body on top of the duvet while Remus lay underneath. His eyes were puffy and red and his gaze was firmly planted on a page in his transfiguration textbook, although Sirius was convinced he wasn't actually reading it.

"I said leave me alone, Sirius. I'm fine."

Sirius took in Remus' pale, withdrawn face and his skinnier-than-usual body. The boy hadn't been down to eat in the great hall for almost three days, and while he told everyone he'd been eating in the kitchens, Sirius decided that it probably wasn't true.

"You need to eat something."

That wasn't what Sirius was meant to say – he had come into Remus' bed with the intention of comforting him, but seeing how unhealthy Remus looked he changed his mind.

"I have eaten something, Sirius. I got breakfast and lunch in the kitchens today," Remus replied, looking anywhere but at Sirius.

"Well it doesn't look like you did. You look ill."

"The full moon's in fifteen days."

"Moony, that's half a month."

Remus turned red. "Oh yeah…" They sat in silence for a few seconds, before Sirius got up decidedly, grabbing Remus' hand.

"C'mon. We're going to the kitchens."

.

Remus tried to protest that he wasn't hungry the entire walk to the kitchens, but Sirius wouldn't budge. The halls were empty as most of the students were at dinner, and when they arrived, Sirius was glad to see that no-one else was occupying the tables. Many students (especially the seventh years) would occasionally eat in the kitchens while studying. Remus tentatively pulled out a chair and sat down, motioning for Sirius to do the same. Almost immediately, they were surrounded by a horde of house elves who, as always, were more than happy to get something for the two to eat. They sat in awkward silence as one of the house elves brought them a plate piled with sandwiches and a jug of pumpkin juice.

Sirius reached for a sandwich, frowning when Remus didn't do the same.

" _Remus_."

" _Sirius_."

Sirius gestured to the plate pointedly. "Eat something Remus, please."

"Not hungry," Remus said, although unfortunately his stomach betrayed him, choosing that moment to growl loudly. Remus looked down, his cheeks flushed pink."

Sirius rested his elbows on the table in between them, and leaned in. " _Remus,_ " he repeated, his voice full of worry for the boy. "Why aren't you taking care of yourself?"

Remus shrugged, still not looking at Sirius.

"Listen Remus, that boy did _not_ deserve you, okay?" Remus opened his mouth, but before he could reply, Sirius put a finger on his lips. "No, listen to me, Remus. Look at me." He gently placed his hand under Remus' chin and dragged his head up slowly so they were eye to eye.

Remus' breath hitched but Sirius didn't look away.

"You deserve the best, Remus, okay? Trust me on that one." He let go of Remus' chin and reached to the sandwich plate, pushing it towards Remus. "Eat. I hate seeing you like this."

Remus reluctantly accepted a proffered sandwich and took a small bite. Sirius grinned and Remus took another one.

Soon, Remus was reaching for another sandwich, realizing he was, in fact hungry (and the sandwiches the house elves made were pretty good).

Once the two had eaten as many sandwiches as they could manage, Sirius decided to bring the subject back to the matter of why Remus was upset.

"So… do you want to talk about what happened?"

Remus opened his mouth hesitantly, then closed it again. Then opened it.

"I mean, you don't have to talk about it if you don't want to…"

"I met him in the library," Remus blurted out, then covered his mouth with his hand. "Sorry, I just…"

"No, go on," Sirius said, patiently. While it hurt having Remus tell him about someone he loved who wasn't Sirius, he knew Remus need to get this off his chest.

"I was just… Studying, I guess. He asked if the other seat on the table was free, then sat with me. We were both studied separately… I don't think I even talked to him at first. Whenever we were in the library, we made it a habit of sitting with each other. Eventually we realized studying would be more efficient if we became partners. Studying partners, I mean," Remus said, that familiar red blush that Sirius found so adorable dusting his cheeks.

"Of course," Sirius said, vaguely, already thinking about how he never went to the library, how this could have all been prevented if _he_ had been the one to study with Remus.

"One day in the library he looked more nervous than normal. That was the day he asked me to go to Hogsmeade with him. I was caught off guard and so automatically turned him down. I think

I wasn't completely sure if I was over you or not at that point," Remus admitted. Sirius knew he would be involved in this story at some point. Remus would feel as if he needed to explain his rapid moving on from their… Relationship.

"Then I thought about it some more, and the more I thought about it, the better of an idea it seemed. Jack is quite physically attractive and we had become good friends at that point so I knew I got on well with him. More than anything… there wasn't really any better way to move on from you. We went to Hogsmeade that weekend. I kissed him for the first time there. I really started to fall for him I guess. I even thought…" Remus' voice lowered to a whisper. "I even thought I was in love."

His eyes filled with tears and Sirius saw him trying desperately to blink them back. "I lost my virginity to Jack," he breathed, his voice so quiet, Sirius had to strain to hear him.

 _Oh._

The full force of what Remus said hit Sirius like a ton of bricks.

"That _bastard_!" Sirius yelled furiously, slamming his fist into the table.

Remus hurriedly grabbed both Sirius's hand in his. "It - it's fine Sirius, he said, a few tears escaping his eyes as he inspected Sirius' still-closed fist. "Look, you're bleeding." He took out his wand and healed Sirius split skin.

Sirius reached out with his other hand and brushed the stray tears off Remus' cheek. "I hate him Remus, _I hate him_. How could he do that do someone as beautiful and - and as perfect as you?"

"Don't say that, Sirius, it's not true."

"Of course it's-"

"If it were true, then why did Jack cheat on me?"

Sirius shook his head. "You know what, Remus? I don't know. I honestly don't know."

He wiped another tear from under Remus' eye with the pad of his thumb, and Remus' eyes fluttered closed as he sighed softly.

"Sirius, I don't know what I'd do without you."

His amber eyes opened, and looked as if they were searching Sirius' grey ones. Then, in one swift motion, Remus leant down and kissed Sirius softly on the lips. Sirius gasped slightly, as their lips met, and soon he was returning the kiss with as much passion as he could, savouring the taste of Remus' slightly chapped lips against his own soft ones. He tasted of sandwiches and pumpkin juice, but Sirius didn't care. The only thing his mind could comprehend was that he was kissing the boy he loved and the boy he loved was _kissing back_. Suddenly, Remus pulled away.

"I-I'm sorry. I don't know what I-" he was cut off with a squeak as Sirius stood on his toes to kiss him again. Somewhere, fireworks exploded. He felt as if he had just downed a bottle of firewhiskey, his mind was buzzing and he felt drunk – drunk on the taste of Remus' tongue, the feeling of their lips pressed together. Finally, Remus pulled away, and rested his head on Sirius.

The two gasped for breath, smiling at each other, dizzy with happiness.

"I – "

"I love you," Sirius whispered, all his feelings for Remus displayed in those three words. "I never stopped loving you. It broke my heart to see you with someone else, but I want nothing more than for you to be happy. Do I make you happy Remus?"

"Happier than anyone else ever has," Remus replied. "I think I love you too, you know."


	17. Redemption

**House: Ravenclaw**  
 **Category: Short**  
 **Prompt: Grey eyes**  
 **Word count: 516**

 **Redemption**

Harry walked up to the heavy iron gates of Malfoy Manor, shuddering slightly as he did so. He definitely didn't have the best of memories associated with this place. They were memories he'd cast to the back of his mind… Until now. This was important though. Out of all the things he regretted in his life, this was pretty near the top.

He had never let Draco Malfoy redeem himself, or given him much of a chance for forgiveness.

Harry walked up the gravel path, then hit the knocker against the door couple of times and waited.

He heard a shuffle of feet behind it and then, instead of the door opening like he'd expected, the letterbox opened and a pair of stormy grey eyes peered out.

"Who's there? Oh, it's you Potter."

The voice was the same - snarky, drawling, arrogant. But there was something else there too, in the words. A kind of… Weariness.

"Can I come in?"

"No," Malfoy responded quickly and sharply.

"Well why don't you come out here then?"

"I can't," he responded sounding truly miserable.

"Well why ever not? It has to be one or the other. I want to talk to you."

"Well, I would rather you didn't. Good day Potter." With that, Draco slammed the letterbox shut and his grey eyes disappeared.

Harry tried again the next day. Again, the letterbox opened and all Harry was able to see of Draco was his eyes.

"Why can't you at least come outside, Malfoy?" Harry asked.

The grey eyes narrowed. "I just assumed you would know. It was all over the Daily Prophet."

"I don't read the Daily Prophet," Harry responded folding his arms.

"No, of course you don't. I'm on house arrest Potter. Idiot."

"Oh! So you can't come outside?"

"Nope," Draco replied, popping the 'p'.

"And I can't come in?"

"No. Apparently there are wards there or something, I don't know."

"And when do they get taken away?"

"About a month I think."

Harry thought for a second. "Well, we're just going to have to talk through this thing then.

The eyes widened. "It can't be that important can it?"

Harry shrugged. "No, but I don't doubt you could use some company," he said sitting on the doorstep. "I just thought I should come and let you know that I don't blame you for anything you did. People saying that it was all your fault don't know what they're talking about. You had no choice."

"Thank you," Harry heard Draco's voice whisper.

"You're welcome, Malfoy."

"Call me Draco."

"Only if you call me Harry," Harry said, grinning. "That was quite an intense conversation starter. I guess we don't really know much about each other… So what's your favourite quidditch team?"

"The Tutshill Tornados, of course! Are you really going to sit here with me? You don't have to, you know."

"I know. But it's not like I have anything better to do… Draco."

Harry suspected that he could see the grey eyes smiling back at him, even if he could not see the rest of the other boy's face.


	18. The Door

**House: Ravenclaw  
** **Category: Drabble  
** **Prompt: No-entry sign  
** **Word Count: 175**

 **The Door**

It was George who had put up the 'no entry' sign on their bedroom. He wanted everything as it was, everything as it had been before the battle. He supposed he thought that if he could preserve the room, right down to the unmade beds and the last rubber wand, he could keep the memory of Fred inside that room forever.

He'd put as much space as possible between himself and that room – he couldn't go in there, not yet. He slept on the sofa and wore the same clothes every day, using a cleaning charm on them every morning.

One Saturday, unexpected help came in the form of his little sister.

"George." Ginny's voice was stern and she sounded oddly like their mother. "You need to stop doing this to yourself. I want you to start up the shop again."

"No, Gin. I'm not read-"

"It's been almost two months," she said, cutting him off, her voice slightly softer. "You can open the door, George."

And so he did. And the world didn't explode.


	19. The Bookstore

House: Ravenclaw  
Category: Drabble  
Prompt: Job interview  
Word Count: 501

"Hello and welcome to The Hippogriff Bookstore. How may I help you today?"

It had been a while since Draco had last been in Diagon Alley, and a lot had changed. There were so many new shops and a lot of the old ones had gone, having been destroyed after the war. No one was hiring either – at least, no one wanted to hire an ex Death Eater such as himself.

He'd been having trouble getting a job anywhere recently and if this job was hiring – well, what did he have to lose?

He peered to the back of the shop to see where the voice was coming from, but they appeared to be hidden behind a shelf of books.

"There was a sign outside looking for shop assistants?" Draco asked hesitantly. "I'm wondering whether or not the position has been filled."

"Well no!" The voice – a woman, perhaps in her early twenties? - said, sounding delighted. "If I'm being honest with you, we've been having rather a lot of trouble hiring people. No-one seems to want to hang around in a dingy old bookstore all day shelving books!"

The woman finally came into view. She was a little older than Draco expected, but still had a young-looking face and for some reason, purple hair.

"Oh my God." Her face fell. "You're a Malfoy."

"Well observed," said Draco, dryly. This happened far too often for his liking.

"I-I'm sorry, but we can't hire you," the woman said, already ushering him out the door. "You're a Death Eater."

" _Was_ a Death Eater," Draco said, sighing in defeat. He'd expected this would happen as with all his other 'job interviews'. Well, some job interview this turned out to be.

"What's going on down there, Claudia?" A male voice shouted from a flight of stairs at the back of the store.

"Nothing! This Death Eater wanted the job as an assistant," she said, laughing. "Crazy, huh? I told him no, of course."

'Get out', she mouthed at Draco, frowning.

"Okay, okay, I'm going," Draco said, his hands going up in surrender.

"Wait, Malfoy, is that you?"

The male voice came into view. "Potter?" Draco said, doing a double take. "What are you doing working here?"

"Being an auror was too stressful I guess," he said, shrugging. "So, what about that job interview?" His lady assistant opened her mouth in objection, but Potter shrugged her off. "He's an old friend. I owe him this." Draco would have very much liked to object on that statement, but he knew what was good for him and kept his mouth shut.

"Besides, he's not a Death Eater any more." Potter continued, and Draco was immediately grateful. Potter owed him no favours - in fact if anything it was the other way round.

"So, if you'd like to follow me? I think it's obligatory I give you a tour."


End file.
